Chicago Heat
by Sarae64
Summary: Sam and Janet are involved in a charitable benefit featuring the music from Chicago. Sam/Jack, Complete
1. Chapter 1

Title: Chicago Heat  
Author: Sarae  
Rating: T  
Summary: Sam and Janet are involved in a charitable benefit featuring the music from Chicago.  
Spoilers: Set in season six, but tiny spoilers only for Prometheus  
Status: Complete.  
Author Note: I just couldn't let this idea go after I watched "Chicago". Blame Rosemary for egging me on. Seriously, I want to thank Rosemary for her unflagging encouragement and for her fantastic beta reading. :-)  
Disclaimer: Stargate Sg-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author.

Chicago Heat  
© 2003 Sarae

Chapter 1

Sam had completely forgotten about the AF8 when Janet walked into her lab that morning. Almost a year earlier, Janet had talked her into joining a group of other female Air Force officers in putting on a dinner theater production to raise money for a local charitable foundation for girls. After several months of preparation, the group of 8 women performed a collection of Rogers & Hammerstein songs for a crowd of 250 patrons and diners at a local nightclub. Though Sam had extreme anxiety and serious doubts about the success of the endeavor, she agreed to participate because she liked the charity that would benefit and she welcomed the challenge of trying something completely different. Because the event had been so successful (the group had raised over 2000 for the charity), they'd all agreed to try and make it an annual event. However, less than two weeks after it happened, Sam had completely put it out of her mind. She'd had way too many other things to think about.

So, when Janet arrived and announced that the group had met the previous week while she was off-world, Sam was surprised. Janet informed her that they had already chosen a theme for the show and that music had already been assigned. The group had chosen the music of _Chicago_ the movie as their theme and had selected 8 numbers from the musical to perform. Sam was usually out of the loop on all these meetings because she was so often 'out of town' and unable to make the meetings. To that end, the group had paired her with Janet for a duet and had given her a solo. This would be her first solo and so her heart beat a little faster when she heard the news. Janet informed her that in order to avoid needing to make several group rehearsals and avoid extensive choreography, she had been asked to do the solo. Sam reluctantly agreed.

Sam and Janet made plans to go and see the movie that had just won the Academy Award for best picture so that Sam could familiarize herself with the music. Janet also provided her with an audio-taped recording of the music for both numbers and gave her the rehearsal schedule for the next month. Finally, Janet gave her an appointment reminder card from a local costume shop that had agreed to provide rental costumes for the performance. Then, like a whirlwind, Janet was gone and Sam was left to ponder her fate. She had little time to think about the upcoming show because she was in the middle of an experiment and Jonas was waiting for the results of the tests she was running. So, assured that she would learn more from viewing the movie with Janet the next evening, she put her assignment aside and returned to her task.

* * *

"I have to sing what?!" Sam exclaimed as she and Janet left the theater that evening.

Janet cringed slightly before replying. "Hey, don't get so upset. There isn't one song in that movie that wouldn't be a bit embarrassing to perform. It's for a good cause, it's once a year and it's not like anyone who knows you will be watching. I managed to pick two numbers which require minimal choreography and will require less rehearsal time on your part."

Sam thought back to the previous year and found herself agreeing with Janet. They had managed to put the whole thing on without anyone else at the SGC finding out. She felt confident they could accomplish that again this year. The only other SGC personnel involved in the project was Lt. Adriana Haman, a lab technician in the physics lab and she didn't want any of her co-workers to know about the show either.

"Yeah, but Janet…" Sam said, still feeling a bit exasperated and having some definite second thoughts about her continued involvement with the project. "That's _Chicago_? That's what it's all about? I had no idea. I mean, I've heard _All That Jazz_ before…but that's really all I knew about it. I had no idea what the musical was about or what any of the other songs from it were like. I would never have agreed to do this."

"Sam, you would have been out-voted. So, you would've been left with the same choice you have now…either buck up and go through with it…or back out and leave us to find someone to replace you," Janet said, having anticipated Sam's objections and responding in a way she thought would appeal to Sam's sense of duty. "We're all pretty busy arranging the musicians and costumes, getting tickets printed, reserving the club, arranging rehearsals and what not. You'll only have to learn your music, practice a few times with me, have a costume fitting and show up at one or two group rehearsals. We've tried to make it as easy as possible for you because of your workload and schedule. We could recruit someone to replace you, but it would be difficult."

Sam shook her head a few times but didn't say no, so Janet continued, "Look, Sam, you can do this. It's a performance. That's why you told me you wanted to do this last year. You wanted to try something completely different, something that would push you way outside your comfort zone. You were excited that you could be doing something to help out others in the process. What has changed? The content of the music?"

Sam continued to shake her head as they walked. "Most likely the costumes we'll be wearing too," she said as she stopped and turned toward Janet. Then speaking much quieter, almost whispering, she said, "I'm not exactly a full-figured woman, Janet. That song really doesn't suit me."

"Well, who does it suit?" Janet asked. "There are ways to fill out costumes to maximize what you have," Janet said and then winked before resuming her stroll toward the car. "Loosen up, Sam. Have fun with it. You'll be great."

Sam didn't say another word. She didn't speak when they got into the car and she didn't speak during the drive back to her house. When they finally arrived back at her house, Janet pulled the car up to the curve and shifted it into park. "Well?" she said, looking at Sam with a twinkle in her brown eyes, "What's it gonna be? You in…or do I have to go dig up another performer?"

Sam looked at the list of songs and those who had been assigned to perform them again. She thought about what Janet said about loosening up and having fun with the performance. She'd been thinking about it during the entire drive home. She finally swallowed hard and shook her head in the affirmative. "Yeah, I'm in," she said and rolled her eyes at seeing Janet's very self-satisfied grin. "Don't get too excited about this, Janet. You never know what will happen between now and then. I was lucky to be here and off-duty for last year's performance."

Janet gave a little chuckle and then responded, "This from a woman who faces life and death situations on a regular basis. You can face down the Goa'uld with a P-90 and not bat an eye, but if you're asked to sing a song with some saucy lyrics in front of a group of strangers, you panic and start looking for the exit. How do you think I feel? It's not like my song is all that flattering."

"Well," Sam said, "at least I will get it over with early in the show. Our duet is the finale, but I don't mind that song so much."

"You'll like the other song too, once you get to know it a little better. Seriously, Sam, this is your opportunity to let it all hang out. If you really go for this, it will be great. Let those inhibitions go. Let the wild side that hides beneath that reserved exterior break free…"

"Yeah, yeah," Sam said while holding up her hand and interrupting Janet's 'sermon' as she opened the door to get out of the car. She turned back and ducked her head down as she closed the door to the car. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Janet said, "I'm on at the infirmary tomorrow. See you then."

Sam returned Janet's smile and waved as she put the car into gear and drove off.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sam had really started to get comfortable with the music from _Chicago_ by the time Jack walked into her lab a week later. She'd been playing the soundtrack on CD whenever she had time alone in the lab. However, she was quick to shut it off whenever anyone entered the lab.

When Jack entered, Sam was concentrating intently on some read outs on her computer screen. She was also humming to the soundtrack and didn't hear Jack enter.

"What'cha doin', Carter?" Jack asked, causing her to sit back rather quickly. She immediately turned down the volume on her speakers and turned to face the Colonel.

"Sir, hi…uh, I was just analyzing some of the readouts from the Prometheus, prior to the hyper-drive failure. We're trying to get everything we will need ready to go back to Tegrea and repair the hyper-drive. I just want to be sure I didn't miss anything."

"Well, no worries there," Jack said. Then with a smile on his face he asked, "What were you listening to?"

"Huh?" Sam asked, trying to keep a blush from creeping onto her face. "Oh, the _Chicago_ soundtrack. Janet and I went last week to the movie and I liked the music…" she said shrugging.

"Oh," Jack replied, more mouthing the word than saying it. "Yeah, that won the Oscar this year, didn't it?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said.

"Good show?" he asked, taking note that she hadn't elaborated.

"Yeah," she said again, shifting slightly.

"I'll have to go see that next time we have leave," he said. Then as he turned to leave he added, "That is, if it's still around by the next time we get leave."

He left as quickly as he came. She shrugged and grinned as she went back to her analysis and turned up the speakers again. It wasn't unusual for Jack to drop by and check in from time to time. Each time he stopped in he asked a few pointless questions or made a few humorous remarks and then went on his merry way. However, this visit prompted her to make a decision about playing the soundtrack in the lab. She decided it was no longer a good idea. She took that CD out and put in one of her other CDs. She normally played instrumental music when she played music at all.

When they'd done the first show, Sam thought she wouldn't have minded if her team had come to see it, but she'd decided not to advertise the fact. She knew if things had gone badly, she would have heard about it for months. However, she really didn't want the guys finding out about this show. She'd come to understand why the group had chosen this music. It was timely, it was fun, and it was grand departure from their normal lives. Most of the group worked at the Academy Hospital and most of those attending would be colleagues, friends and family of the rest of the group. Even Lt. Haman had family in the area. Sam was the lone group member who didn't bring along a built in audience.

She sighed and looked at her watch. It was time to knock off for the day and she had an appointment with the costume shop. So, she saved the report she'd been working on and switched her computer off.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since her costume fitting and she'd missed out on two rehearsals. The show was only one week away and she crossed her fingers that she would be able to make it to the dress rehearsal scheduled for that evening.

As it turned out, she did make it. A number was already being staged when she entered the theater in Arnold Hall at the Air Force Academy. Since all of the other officers but Lt. Haman worked at the Academy hospital or taught at the Academy, they had found it more convenient to schedule their rehearsals there.

She still hadn't gotten comfortable wearing either costume that had been chosen for her. However, she soon lost the feeling to complain when she walked in on Captain Tuesday Pate's rendition of _All That Jazz_. Sam almost didn't recognize the Mathematics professor when she saw her grinding out her number on the stage. Her costume accentuated her long legs and she had covered her short, ash-blond hair with a jet-black, bobbed wig. Sam was stunned. Tuesday looked fantastic up on the stage and she nailed the number, which brought a rousing round of applause from the others present.

Sam looked around when the number ended and noticed that most of the others were in costume already. Janet noticed her as the applause died down and motioned for Sam to join her off-stage. Sam hefted up the duffel and the garment bag she'd hauled in and headed off to join Janet.

Janet helped her get the corseted gown on that she would wear for her first number. Sam elected not to wear a wig, choosing, instead to wear a feathered headpiece. She felt like a saloon torch singer from the 1800's, but then she supposed that was how she was supposed to feel. She didn't take the time to tease up her hair and put on full make-up (a fact she knew she would be criticized for at the end of her number) because she really wanted to get out and watch the other performances.

She walked out on the stage just in time to catch the tail end of _Funny Honey_. Captain Kira Robbins, a nurse practitioner from the Academy hospital and Lt. Grace Ryan, an Academy hospital nurse, were performing in perfect time. Capt. Robbins was singing Roxie's part and Lt. Ryan, with her husky voice, was speaking Amos's part. Sam smiled in appreciation as they ended the number right on cue. She was amazed at how ready these women were and at how professional those she had seen so far had performed.

Then she felt her stomach drop to her toes as she realized she was up next. Janet handed her a feathered fan in a color that complimented her gown and matched her headpiece then gave her a wink and a gentle push. Sam took a deep breath, cleared her throat and walked out on the stage.

She was plenty stiff as the music started. She exhaled again and tried to calm her nerves. The first verse left a lot to be desired. For the second verse, the choreographer had directed Sam to walk out into the audience and stop at about three different tables. As she did this among her cast mates, she began to relax and by the time she reached the stage for the final stanza, her voice had finally kicked in and she ended the performance they way she would have liked it all to go.

Janet greeted her with a big smile and a hug as she walked backstage. The director, a fellow performer, Dr. (Major) Petra Power, a psychologist from the Academy hospital had suggested more make-up (which did not surprise Sam) and a few other minor changes, but Sam felt fortunate the others cut her so much slack.

Sam stood backstage as everyone but she and Janet geared up for the next number, _Cell Block Tango_. Each member of this cast had recruited a male partner to join them for the dancing on this number. The choreographer for the entire production was also one of the AF8. Dr. (Lieutenant Colonel) Rosemary Groves, a neurologist at the Academy hospital, was also an accomplished dancer. She had tried to keep the choreography as close as possible to that used in the movie, but modified it when a performer was not quite up to the challenge. Sam did not find the modifications obvious or distracting. She was quite impressed with everyone.

The narrator/master of ceremonies for the show was a young Lieutenant who worked at the Academy airfield as an air traffic controller. Lt. Josh Wegner had also done that duty for the previous year's show. Sam enjoyed listening to the young man and didn't mind looking at him either. He was tall, dark and handsome…and married. His wife had been helping out with set changes and other backstage operations.

The next number was Adriana with _Razzle Dazzle_. This number was the most modified of the bunch, but she performed it well. Next up was Janet with _Roxie_. This number was also modified somewhat. The six men who had volunteered to dance on _Cell Block Tango_ agreed to back up Janet on _Roxie_, as they had Tuesday and the others in _All That Jazz_, and Adriana in _Razzle Dazzle_.

Sam thought Janet was adorable in her number. She was as polished and professional as all the rest. Before Sam could get three words of congratulations out to Janet, she was being rushed, by Janet, back into the dressing area to change into their costumes for the next number.

Again Sam changed quickly. The costume for the final number, _We Move On_, was nothing more than a sparkly, clingy, spaghetti-strap evening gown. The change was quickly made, the feathered headpiece removed, and once again, Sam was out catching as much of the other performance as possible. She caught the last few seconds of Petra and Rosemary hoofing to the _Hot Honey Rag_. She'd missed the first part of the number, _Now a Days_, but was impressed by the dancing at the end. As the music segued into the number she and Janet would be performing, they replaced the previous duo on stage.

The final number went well and all met for a few last minute modifications. The timing had gone well, the changes had gone smoothly and the total performance was shaping up to be around 40 minutes long which was considered long enough by the group. The amount of volunteers who had put in their time, effort and talent was mind-boggling to Sam. Those who knew agreed that the production was ready to be moved to the club. There would be one more dress rehearsal the day of the performance (since they could not tie up the club any longer than the one night) and then it would be show time.

She was beginning to feel bad about not having been there more often. Being the 'scrub' of a group was not a place she was used to occupying but she had definitely felt like the scrub tonight. She renewed her resolved to prepare and to be ready when the performance date arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The days before the show were spent on base. Fortunately for Sam and Janet, SG-1 was on down time for three days (the day before, the day of and the day after the performance) and Janet had time off as well. Sam had serious suspicions that Janet had spoken with General Hammond, but she didn't really want to know, so she didn't ask.

On the last day before her leave, Jonas nearly caught Sam as she was practicing one of the stanzas of her solo while crunching numbers from one of the Naquadria powered hyperspace generator tests. He walked in just as she finished singing and she jumped slightly as she turned and saw him standing in the doorway.

"Jonas!" Sam exclaimed, a bit out of breath.

"Sam?" Jonas asked and she noticed a curious look on his face. He looked around the lab in silence. "Did I hear singing?"

"Uhm…yeah," she replied, her mind running quickly through explanations and settling on "I just turned off the radio on my computer. I was having trouble concentrating." She smiled and shrugged.

"Oh," he said and smiled back. "So, are you getting any different results with the variations we implemented?"

She shook her head before walking back to the computer and being joined by Jonas. "I'm afraid we haven't effected any change in the stability of the energy output."

"I know there has to be a way…" Jonas said, scratching his head absent mindedly as she stared over her shoulder at the numbers being displayed on her computer. "Something we're missing."

"Well, if you think of anything, let me know," Sam said and then yawned. "I seem to be coming up with nothing."

Jonas stood back and looked at Sam. "I think it's a good thing we've got some down time coming up."

"Why?" she asked, looking at him with curiosity and a bit of nervousness.

"You look a bit tired," he said.

"Do I?" she said and then smiled. "I can't imagine why I'd be tired," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jonas chuckled slightly and then added, "Yeah, I guess we have been hitting this pretty hard…and I don't have to drive home before I can go to sleep…or drive back each morning before I can get started. So, you have big plans for the weekend?"

Sam's smile disappeared and she stammered through her answer. "Uh, no. No big plans. Just a quiet weekend," she said. "So, I can catch up on my sleep." She winked and reached her hand out to pat Jonas' bicep as she turned away from the screen.

"Sounds like a plan," said Jonas as he made his way to the door. "See you in a couple of days?"

"Definitely," said Sam. She smiled and waved as Jonas left.

Sam relaxed slightly, blew out a big breath and walked back to her computer. She saved the file she and Jonas had just viewed one last time, put the laptop to sleep and unhooked all the peripheral devices from it, including the second monitor she and Jonas had been looking at minutes before. When the screen went black, she looked at the monitor. It was reflecting her image quite well, so she took the opportunity to practice sultry looks for her solo. She had resolved to get into the song and work it for all it was worth.

To that end, she had been practicing at home in the mirror, on occasion in the bathroom at the mountain and in any other place she could find her reflection staring back at her. She was beginning to like the progress she was making. If she did say so herself, she was getting quite good at giving a sexy, sultry glare. Now, if she could just stop herself from laughing 30 seconds after she did it, she'd be great for the show. She had a feeling her nerves would help take care of the laughing problem.

She wasn't really aware of how long she'd been staring in the screen, practicing, but she was pleased that she hadn't yet laughed. She was pleased that is, until she heard…

"Carter?"

Crap! She stiffened immediately and laughter was not what she felt creeping up from the pit of her stomach. Panic…that was what it was. She could feel her cheeks reddening and growing hot as she turned to find Jack standing a foot or so behind her. "Damn!" she thought, "that man can be so stealthy when he wants to be."

"Sir?" she said, willing her face to return to its normal color.

"Thought you'd be gone by now," he said. "Oh, wait…that's right, that's why I stopped by. Because I knew you'd still be here staring at that damn computer…" He stopped as he noticed the screen was 'dead'. "You're staring at blank screens now?" he asked.

"Well, I, uh, I just disconnected my lap top and was packing it up," she said indicating the case on the table beside her. "I was getting ready to leave, honest," she said, feeling the color in her cheeks fade slightly. Maybe he hadn't really seen anything. Maybe he really was just trying to make sure she took her leave.

"Good," he said and then he turned on his heel and began walking back out the door. "Go, enjoy, rest, play, have fun…" His words trailed off as he entered the hall.

Sam blew out another breath. She quickly grabbed her computer and headed for the lockers. She was determined to get off base as quickly as possible and finish her practicing in the privacy of her own home.

* * *

Jack had indeed seen more than he'd let on. He would have razzed her, but he wasn't feeling capable at that moment. He was rather puzzled and a bit bewildered. In the entire time he'd known Samantha Carter, he'd never seen the look on her face that he'd seen reflected in that monitor. His mind had been racing as he tried to gather why she would be practicing 'those' kind of looks.

So far, the only reasons he'd come up with were not reasons he wanted to contemplate. The only person he wanted her to look at like that was him. So, he'd taken advantage of her obvious discomfort at his presence, had turned it to his advantage and then had gotten the hell out of there before he betrayed his true thoughts to her. This was so not going to be a relaxing weekend now.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jack was still trying to come up with a reason he could live with for why Sam had looked so damn sexy as she glared into her blank computer monitor. He was still contemplating what she could possibly have planned for that weekend and what he could plan to take his mind off it as he got out of his pickup in his drive way. He almost didn't hear his name being called.

"Colonel O'Neill? Hey, is that you?" the voice, familiar, but not recognized, called.

Jack turned to find the source of the voice and removed his sunglasses as the setting sun was now hidden behind the hills to the west of his house. "Wegner? That you?"

"Yes, Sir," Josh said as took Jack's proffered hand and shook it enthusiastically. "This your place?" he asked with a gesture that indicated Jack's house.

"Yeah," said Jack, smiling. "That your place?" Jack asked, pointing in the direction from which Lt. Wegner had just come.

"Yes, Sir. My wife and I just moved in this month," he replied, still smiling.

"Well," said Jack, sweeping his arms open, "welcome to the neighborhood."

"Thank you, Sir. It's been a while since you've come out to take a hop at the field."

"Yes, well…you know how it is. Never enough time to do the stuff you enjoy," Jack said smiling half-heartedly. "You working the weekend? Maybe I'll come out and take a hop."

"Oh, sorry Sir, I have a big benefit show to do this weekend," Wegner said, and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded flier about the show. "Hey, if you're not doing anything, perhaps you'll want to come see it."

"Benefit, huh?" said Jack, taking the flyer, but not really looking at it. "Well, I'm not much for fancy-schmantzy crowds. Maybe I can just give you a donation?"

"You don't even have to do that, Sir," Wegner said, his smile fading slightly. "It's just a little dinner and music…nothing fancy. A small crowd, the place only seats 250. The crowd will be mostly Air Force…and mostly associated with the Academy hospital. Most of the performers work at the hospital. I just thought you might like a good meal and a little entertainment. If you want to donate, though, I'd be happy to accept your contribution."

Jack took a glancing look at the flier. "_Chicago_, huh?"

"Oh, yeah. Those ladies do a fine job, if I do say so," Wegner said, the smile returning full to his face.

"So, what do you do?" Jack asked, suddenly curious.

"Oh, I'm just the MC…or narrator…whatever you want to call it. You won't have to listen to me much," Wegner said with a wink.

"I'll think about it," Jack said, folding the flier. "Thanks…and if I don't see you before, have a good show. But don't forget to hit me up about the donation."

"Okay, Sir," Wegner said. "Have a good weekend."

"You too, Wegner," Jack replied as he turned to walk up his sidewalk and into his house.

* * *

Jack was still trying to get Sam's reflection off his mind the next morning. He hadn't really slept, so he decided to call Teal'c and see if he was interested in a round of golf. Teal'c was interested, as was Jonas. Teal'c drove them to the course where they met Jack and started a round of instructional golf for Jonas. Five hours and some very disgruntled golfers later, the trio returned to the club house. Jack was feeling more relaxed, but didn't want to hang around. He'd noticed some of the glares being directed at them as they approached and decided he didn't want that much attention being drawn to his two alien friends. "Sheesh! We let everyone play through," he thought as he gave one particularly annoying quartet an equally nasty glare back.

He invited the boys back to his place for a beer since he felt staying at the club house was a bad idea. Teal'c and Jonas readily agreed to join him and before long, they were all seated in O'Neill's living room sipping on their bottles.

"So…anybody know if Carter had plans for the weekend?" Jack asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"She told me she was planning a quiet weekend to catch up on her sleep," said Jonas. "You know, golf is a much more difficult game that it appears to be."

"Yes," said Jack, "that would be the reason so many golfers are smiling when they're on the course."

"I observed very few smiles on the course today, O'Neill," Teal'c said, raising one brow.

"Exactly," said Jack, tipping his bottle back for another swig. "Pizza anyone?"

A couple of hours later, the pizza had been delivered and eaten, a movie had been selected and watched and still the conversation had not gotten rolling. Then as Teal'c was throwing away his pizza plate and preparing to leave, he noticed the rumpled flier that Wegner had given to Jack the night before.

"Are you planning to attend this benefit, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as he returned to the living room, flier in hand.

"Huh? Oh, no. The kid across the street gave that to me last night," Jack said, his thoughts once again returning to his sexy Major. "No…I'm not going there," he thought.

"What is it?" Jonas asked, ever the curious one.

"It appears to be dinner and a show – selections from the Motion Picture, _Chicago_," said Teal'c as he handed the flier to Jonas.

"_Chicago_. Hmm…the AF8. I wonder who they are?" Jonas asked. "The AF8, that sounds familiar for some reason. Do you know who they are?"

"All I know is Wegner said they were mostly Academy hospital employees," Jack said, kicking his shoes off and putting them up on his coffee table.

"Hospital…yeah, that's it," Jonas said, excitement rising in his voice. "Dr. Frasier mentioned the AF8. Gosh, it's been some time ago, though. Maybe a month or so."

"Fraiser?" Jack asked, putting his feet down and sitting forward.

"Yes. I think she's involved with this benefit in some way," said Jonas. "We should go and support her."

"Indeed, Jonas Quinn," Teal'c said.

"I don't know," said Jack. "I mean, if she wanted us to be there, why wouldn't she have told us about it?"

"That's a good question," Jonas said, his brow raising.

"Well, maybe we can get a table in the back?" Jack said, suddenly curious.

"But, I thought you said…" Jonas began, confused and not for the first time that day.

"All the more reason to go," said Jack, sitting back again and smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Is not Major Carter joining us this evening?" Teal'c asked as he and Jonas exited the cab in front of the club.

"Well, I called her place, but I never got an answer," Jack said, shrugging slightly.

"Perhaps we should have stopped by," said Jonas. "She may have disconnected it if she wanted to get some rest."

"Nah…tried that too," he said, looking down at his shoes. Then, in an attempt to change the subject, "You fellas clean up nicely."

Teal'c cocked his head slightly and O'Neill braced himself to give the explanation he was sure he would have to give.

"As do you, O'Neill," Teal'c said and then smiled slightly.

All three had dressed in casual clothes, though not jeans. Jack had chosen a pair of black slacks and a charcoal grey v-necked sweater. He also wore a black leather jacket to fend of the evening chill.

Teal'c had opted for brown slacks, a tan turtleneck, a brown jacket and a brown leather cap. Jonas had braved the chilled evening air in a pair of black slacks and a midnight blue collared, long-sleeve shirt. The trio walked up to the entrance and Teal'c held the door as the other two walked inside.

Once inside they were greeted by a hostess. "May I have your tickets, gentlemen?" she asked, smiling and holding out her hand.

"Uh, we were hoping to purchase them here. Can we do that?" Jack asked, smiling his most charming smile.

"Oh, I'm afraid we're sold out this evening," the hostess said, her smile fading.

"Sold out?" Jack asked, surprised.

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" Jonas said, smiling brightly at the attractive hostess. "That means they'll be making a lot of money for the charity."

"Yes, well," Jack said, beginning to get annoyed. "Is there anyway you could squeeze us in? See, we just found out about this benefit and our friend is part of the cast. We'd really like to be here to support her," he said, his voice dripping with charm.

"Really? Who are you here to see?" she asked, beginning to "perk" up again.

"Dr. Janet Fraiser," Teal'c answered before either of the other two could.

"We'd be willing to double our donation if you could find us a spot," Jack said pulling out all the stops.

"Well," the hostess said, and then bit her bottom lip and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling as she considered the offer. "Wait here and let me see what we can work out."

"Great!" said Jonas and he followed the hostess with his eyes as she went in search of a higher authority.

"Who knew this would be sold out?" said Jack. He shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels as he waited for the hostess to return. Teal'c said nothing but continued to observe the area. Jonas raised his brows and shrugged, but also remained silent.

Several minutes later, a gentleman approached the trio. He introduced himself as the club owner and explained that he could get the trio in for the evening, but that they would have to sit very near the stage and off to the right. He explained that their view of the stage would not be the best, but he felt they should still be able to enjoy the dinner and the show. Jack thanked the man and before long, they were seated in their somewhat cramped area near the front, right side of the stage.

As they were finishing their dinner, Jack noticed that a patron at the table behind Jonas was looking at what appeared to be a program for the evening.

"Hey, Jonas," he said, giving Jonas a thump on the bicep to get his attention, "why don't you ask that fella behind you if we can take a gander at that program he has?"

"Sure," Jonas replied and used his napkin to wipe his mouth and fingers before he turned to the gentleman seated at the table behind them. "Excuse me, Sir," Jonas said, smiling, "we didn't get a program because we got our tickets rather late, would you mind if we took a look at yours?"

The man smiled and told Jonas to keep the program. His date had one too and he explained that they could share hers. Jonas thanked the man and turned back to the table with the program. Jonas handed the program to Jack, giving him the opportunity to read it first.

"Hmmm," Jack said after perusing the document for a few seconds, "this says it's the second annual AF8 benefit. I didn't realize this group performed last year. Wonder what they did then?" His question was met by a slight shrug from Jonas and an eyebrow lift from Teal'c.

"So, who are the AF8?" Jonas asked.

"All it says here are the first names: Adriana, Grace, Janet, Kira, Petra, Rosemary, Samantha and Tuesday," Jack replied and then handed the paper to Jonas, who maneuvered so that both he and Teal'c could see it.

"Hmmm…there's an Adriana who works at the SGC. You don't suppose that could be her, do you?" Jonas asked.

"Nah, I don't think so. Wegner said these were all medical types. Said they work at the Academy hospital. Most of these folks here are colleagues or family," Jack said, using his hand to gesture toward the rest of the crowd.

"Yeah, probably right," Jonas said, nodding his head.

A few minutes later, the house lights dimmed and the stage lights came up. Josh came out on the stage and made some welcoming remarks. He introduced the musicians and the crowd applauded them. They had been playing some quiet dinner music since the crowd began arriving earlier in the evening.

The makeshift orchestra pit was not really a pit at all, but rather an area directly in front of the stage surrounded by a railing and some half-curtains that matched the cloth hanging from the front of the stage. A short set of steps leading to and from the stage flanked either side of the orchestra pit and SG-1's table had been set up on the right side of the right set of steps.

Teal'c's back had been facing the stage as they ate their dinners. Once the lights had dimmed, Jonas had slid closer to Jack and Teal'c had slid around closer to Jonas. All three were facing the stage and settling in for the show.

Sam had eaten lightly between the dress rehearsal and the live performance. She had taken the extra time to curl and tease her hair, and with Janet's help she had pulled it all together before the dress rehearsal. She'd had a great rehearsal. When it was over, she no longer felt like the scrub of the group. Her hard work that week had finally paid off. Confidence was beginning to seed itself in her and just in time. She'd taken advice from the director and other performers to make her performance more lively and appropriate to the lyrics.

"Mama is powerful, street-wise, unscrupulous and knows how to use her feminine wiles," the director had said. "Think about being tough, authoritative and above all else, sexy."

It had been a difficult assignment, but somehow, Sam had finally pulled it together. She would never admit to anyone that Jack's visit to the lab just before she'd left for the weekend had done more to assist her in finally getting into the right frame of mind for the performance than anything else. Imagining his reaction if he'd ever seen her giving him the looks she had been practicing was enough to stir up some definite feelings of arousal inside her. It also panicked her…so she tried to bury the panic and worked on keeping the heat and desire.

Now the actual performance was approaching and that heat and desire she so wanted to recapture was eluding her and the panic seemed to persist instead. Butterflies seemed to be fluttering around in her stomach and her palms had begun to itch. She was fidgeting around, some distance away from the rest of the group when Josh finished his remarks and the first number began. Without moving, she took note that the show had begun and the butterflies in her stomach doubled their efforts.

She thought about Teal'c and some methods he'd taught her for calming her nerves and began trying to concentrate in earnest on her breathing while tuning everything else around her 

out. There wasn't really enough time to get to where she wanted to be, but she had to do something. Tuesday started the show off with a bang and the crowd erupted in applause when she finished.

Sam turned toward the stage, her nerves settling slightly. Janet walked to meet her, smiling widely.

"Well, we're off and running," she said. "Kira and Grace are already on. Are you ready?"

"Oh, yeah," said Sam, attempting to look convincing.

"Come on, Sam," Janet said, reaching out to give her arm a little pat. "You nailed this number this afternoon. Do whatever you did then."

"I've been trying, Janet," Sam protested, "but for some reason, it's not working."

"You'll be fine," Janet coaxed. "After all, it's only about three and a half minutes. Heck, you can almost hold your breath that long."

Sam grinned. "Too bad I can't sing this song while I'm holding my breath," she said. They both laughed at that and Sam felt herself relax a little.

"Well, do whatever you have to Sam," Janet said, giving her a little push toward the stage entrance. "It'll all be over in a few minutes."

Sam took a few more deep breaths and put everything out of her mind. She'd almost managed to find a calm place when the applause for Kira and Grace exploded through the club.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Well," said Jonas as he clapped enthusiastically, "so far, this is pretty good, huh?"

"Indeed," Teal'c replied as he, too, applauded.

"There's certainly some talent on display this evening," Jack agreed as the clapping began to die down.

The trio sat back in silence as the next performer stepped out on the stage. Her back was to them, and she held a feathered fan in front of her face, but Jack knew immediately who it was. He would know that stance, that walk, anywhere, even disguised as it was in that form fitted gown. He'd studied it for far too long.

He grabbed the program off the table and looked at the third number: _When You're Good to Mama_ – Samantha. "Oh, this is all I need," he thought. He rarely thought of her as Samantha. He didn't allow himself to. There was a little cache of images he associated with Samantha buried in the recesses of his mind. He was afraid this performance would cause that little cache to overflow.

"Hey," Jonas whispered while simultaneously tapping Jack's arm, "that's our S…"

"Shhh!" O'Neill chastened him. "I know exactly who that is." Jack shifted so that his back was half-turned toward his companions. He suddenly wished his companions had not joined him this evening.

* * *

"And now ladies and gentlemen," Josh said as the orchestra began playing, "the Keeper of the keys, the Countess of the clink, the mistress of Murderers Row, Matron Mama Morton!"

Sam slowly dropped the fan on cue and began singing.

_"Ask any of the chickies in my pen. They'll tell you I'm the biggest Mutha. . . .hen. I love them all and all of them love me - Because the system works; the system called reciprocity!"_

Sam dropped the fan down as the beat picked up and her hips began to keep time to the beat. She began making her way across the stage, moving in time to the music.

_"Got a little motto, always sees me through - When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you!" _

Not one of the three seated at the right side of the stage could take their eyes off their colleague. All three watched in awed fascination as Sam continued to saunter in time to the music, stopping to face the audience and give the end of each stanza a little punch.

_"There's a lot of favors I'm prepared to do - You do one for Mama, she'll do one for you!"_

She had relaxed completely and the performance was going just as she'd rehearsed. She finally reached the other side of the stage and turned in the opposite direction, leaning her back in a seductive pose against the left side of the stage. She continued to look out at the audience, but the lighting kept all but the orchestra obscured from her view. She was too focused on her 'mission' to notice anyone in the audience anyway.

_"They say that life is tit for tat, and that's the way I live - So, I deserve a lot of tat, for what I've got to give!"_

With a tremendously seductive glare and a little shimmy, she thrust herself forward, off the wall and began descending the steps to sashay among the patrons.

* * *

"Oh, this was so not good," Jack thought, unable to tear his eyes from the seductress on the stage. "Actually," he contradicted himself, "this is very good." Again, he found himself wishing he'd left Jonas and Teal'c back on the base. He tugged absent-mindedly at his lightweight sweater and wondered if someone had turned up the thermostat in the room.

* * *

_"Don't you know that this hand washes that one too? When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you!" _

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sam rejoiced that she didn't recognize the people at the table she stopped at as she sang that stanza. She continued the sultry, mischievous dance as she moved on to the next table, near the middle of the room.

_"If you want my gravy, pepper my Ragu - Spice it up for Mama, she'll get hot for you!" _

By now, Sam was actually beginning to enjoy herself. Rising up to meet a challenge was always exhilarating to her, whether it was a scientific or technical challenge, or something like this. She continued to stroll across the room to the right side of the stage, focusing on the table she'd practiced at earlier. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought the table was in a slightly different spot, but she didn't allow that to distract her.

_"When they pass that basket, folks contribute to…"_

She stopped, bumped the table with her hip, spun around and dropped her fan over the head of the person sitting in the table closest to the stage.

_"You put in for Mama, she'll put out for you!" _

* * *

As feathers descended over his face, he suddenly put all the pieces together. He flashed back on the day they'd discussed _Chicago_ in her lab. And then he flashed forward to the looks he'd seen her practicing in her computer monitor. At once he felt relief that she hadn't been practicing those looks for just one person. His body temperature became uncomfortably warm again and then he stopped thinking altogether as his eyes met hers.

* * *

Sam's heart literally skipped a beat as she slid her fan down over the face of her C. O. She was sure he noted the 'deer in the headlights' look that came over her for a millisecond. Then she hoped he noticed a steely resolve replace that look as she continued back up the stairs. She felt her cheeks heat up and knew they had turned a few shades redder.

_"The folks a top the ladder are the ones the world adores - So boost me up the ladder kid and I'll boost you up yours!"_

Purposefully avoiding looking down, she leaned her back up against the right side of the stage in a pose similar to the one she had struck on the other side of the stage and fanned herself slowly with the feathers.

"Let's all stroke together, like the Princeton crew - When you're strokin' Mama, Mama's strokin' you!"

Then, putting her hands on her hips, she walked closer to the center of the stage. She was mere seconds away from completing this challenge and she was fighting the urge to rush it.

_"So what's the one conclusion I can bring this number to? When you're good to Mama, Mama's good to you!"_

Again the crowd erupted in applause as Sam took a quick bow and hurried off the stage.

* * *

Teal'c put a restraining hand on Jonas as he nearly jumped out of his seat to give Sam a standing ovation. Jonas frowned, but then noticed that no one else was standing. So, he continued clapping, enthusiastically. Teal'c, too was clapping quite loudly. Jack was clapping too, though not quite as enthusiastically. He was still in a state of shock.

"Wow," Jonas said as Sam hurried off the stage. "I had no idea Sam could sing like that!"

"What?" Jack asked sarcastically. "It surprises you that she has more talents she hasn't yet revealed?"

"No, I guess not," Jonas replied as Adriana made her way onto the stage. "Hey, look," he said turning toward Teal'c, sensing that Jack was not in the mood to be corrected. "I was right. That is our Adriana."

"Indeed," Teal'c replied.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sam walked right past Janet and straight into the dressing area. Janet could tell something was bothering Sam, but she also needed to prepare herself for the performance she would be giving. Concern for Sam won out and she quickly followed the route Sam had taken.

The feathered headpiece and fan were lying on a chair and the gown was draped next to them when Janet arrived. Sam was shimmying into the gown for the finale. Her cheeks were flushed and the relaxed smile Janet had seen earlier had been replaced by a brow furrow and steely gaze.

"Is something wrong, Sam?" Janet asked.

"Nope. Everything is fine," Sam said, plastering a smile on her face. Sam had considered telling Janet about Jack and then decided Janet needed the opportunity to finish her number before she found out. "I just wanted to get ready before you went on. I want to watch." Again, she forced a smile onto her face.

"Oh, okay," Janet said, though she wasn't buying Sam's explanation. She'd been around long enough to know when Sam was disturbed.

"You'd better get out there and prepare yourself," Sam said, when it became apparent that Janet wasn't going to leave. "I'll be there before you go on."

"All right," Janet said. Sam ignored Janet as she slowly backed away from the area. Sam fussed with her hair and watched Janet's departure in the mirror before she finally let the impact of what had just happened hit her.

Her knees suddenly felt like Jello and she stumbled toward an empty chair. She flopped in the chair and dropped her head into her hands.

"Oh my God!" she thought. "How…why…what was he doing here?" That moment replayed itself in her mind. That look on his face…that indescribable feeling of shock, embarrassment and vulnerability. "Wait…" she thought as her numbed mind started putting details together. "He wasn't alone, was he?" The scene replayed itself in her mind, in slow motion. It was then she realized that not only had Jack seen her performance, but Teal'c and Jonas had as well.

"Holy….!" It was bad enough that Jack (and actually, a part of her she tried to keep buried enjoyed the fact that he'd seen it) had seen it, but Teal'c and Jonas too? This would be all over the base before she returned on Monday. "What possessed me to agree to this!?" she wondered, not for the first time.

"I knew Janet talked to Hammond!" she thought and began wondering who else was there from the SGC. Sam pushed those thoughts aside as she heard _Razzle Dazzle_ start. She took a deep breath, stood and took one last look at the mirror. Then she made her way out to the backstage area so she could watch the rest of Adriana's number and Janet's that followed.

"Hey, I'm not completely alone here," she thought. "These two will get ribbed as bad as I will." This made her smile temporarily, but then she concluded, "Nope…they won't."

Sam smiled as Adriana and Janet passed each other in the wings. They gave each other a little 'high five' and Adriana made her way back to stand beside Sam. Sam congratulated and complimented Adriana on her performance and then the two turned their attention to the stage.

Janet and her six male dancing partners performed _Roxie_ flawlessly. Again, the applause echoed around the club. She made her way to Sam and Adriana and then burst out laughing in relief.

"Whew!" she said, fanning herself with her hand. "I'm so glad that's over."

"What?" Sam said, feigning shock. "You? Miss, come on, this is a cake walk?"

The trio began quickly making their way to the dressing area. Janet had very little time to change gowns. Sam and Adriana sat as Janet walked behind the dressing screen and shed her gown. She was shimmying into the next one when she spoke.

"So, Sam…" she said, "I know something was bothering you earlier. What was it? Surely, you were happy with your performance. It was outstanding. Even better than rehearsal."

"Oh, yeah," said Sam, "especially that part where I draped my fan over the face of the Colonel."

Adriana's eyes grew wide when she heard that very unexpected statement. Janet poked her head around the screen.

"The Colonel? What Colonel?" she asked, frowning.

"The Colonel," Sam said.

"The Colonel," Janet mouthed, then her eyes grew wide. "O'Neill, Colonel O'Neill? He's here?" Janet asked, her voice rising in pitch.

"Oh, man," said Adriana, under her breath.

"Oh, and he's not alone," Sam added, a grim smile on her face. "The whole team's here."

"Teal'c? and Jonas?" Janet asked, her voice rising even higher in pitch. "Well, that pretty much answered my question."

"Why are you so surprised, Janet? Didn't you talk to the General so we could have the time off?" Sam asked, looking for confirmation of her suspicion.

"Well, I did tell him you and I had plans to work for a charity, but I didn't give him any details and he didn't seem interested enough to ask for any," she replied as she zipped up her gown.

That puzzled Sam and brought to mind more questions she wanted to ask, but she didn't have the time. She and Janet had to be on stage in a few seconds. "You okay for this last number?" Janet asked as she emerged from behind the screen.

"I'm fine," Sam said and then smiled for Janet's benefit. Janet took one last look at herself in the mirror, readjusted her hair and the trio headed back toward the stage.

As they were standing in the wings waiting for their music to start, Janet asked Sam where the guys were sitting. Sam gave Adriana and her the general direction just as their music started and they walked onto the stage as Rosemary and Petra came off.

Sam did her level best to ignore the fact that her team was watching. She and Janet hit it off well together and Jack and Teal'c were left to ponder the talent these ladies had hidden from them for so many years. The crowd applauded loudly again. Soon the rest of the cast joined Sam and Janet on stage for a curtain call and received a standing ovation.

"Why didn't you guys tell me Sam and Dr. Fraiser could sing so well?" Jonas asked as the applause continued. Jack ignored him and continued to show his appreciation of the performance.

"I was not aware that either was a singer," Teal'c replied and then continued to clap.

"Really?" Jonas asked and then looked toward Jack. Jack continued to ignore him.

The curtain closed on the stage and the applause quickly faded. Jonas and Teal'c pushed their chairs in and waited for O'Neill to follow suit. Jack finally turned to the others and pushed his chair in as well.

"So…you guys ready to hit it?" Jack asked, his brows rising.

"Well, don't you want to congratulate the ladies before we leave?" Jonas asked, somewhat surprised.

"I believe it is customary to congratulate the performers after a presentation," Teal'c agreed.

"Fine," Jack said after a small hesitation. Then he pulled out his chair and sat again.

Before long, the trio decided to change locations because a crowd had gathered at the stage and their location was being overrun. Most of the performers had come out to greet their family and friends. Even Adriana was speaking with a few members of her family.

Sam and Janet were nowhere to be seen, however, and Jack was beginning to wonder if they'd snuck out the back. Jonas had gone to congratulate Adriana. Teal'c kept looking at Jack, which was beginning to annoy Jack. When he'd decided he could take Teal'c's scrutiny no longer, he stood to leave. He'd decided he would take his own cab and leave the two aliens to fend for themselves, but then Sam and Janet appeared. Sam was now dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans and a turtleneck sweater. Her hair was still slightly teased and more whispy than he was accustomed to seeing. She'd worked at removing most of her stage make-up, so her face had fresh-scrubbed look and a rosy glow. Janet was wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt. She was carrying a sweat jacket and had also scrubbed off the makeup and brushed her hair.

Teal'c rose when he saw the two appear. Jack was aware of his presence and of Janet's, but all he could see was Sam. And at that moment, he was thankful, if not a bit resentful, that the other two were there. Their presence reinforced the need for him not to indulge in the thoughts that persistently invaded his brain.

Sam stopped moving when her eyes met Jack's. She was trying to make her feet move, but they just weren't cooperating. Janet stopped too. "Well, this should be fun," she said, which helped Sam out of her trance and propelled her forward.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Oh, screw it!" she said as she passed Janet. "It was a performance for charity…so sue me." She descended the steps steeling herself for the ribbing she anticipated would come.

Wisely, she approached Teal'c first. She felt she could trust him to avoid the sarcasm she was sure would flow from Jack. Jack tore his eyes away from Sam long enough to smile at Janet as she followed Sam down the steps.

"I was most impressed by the quality of your performance, Major Carter," Teal'c said. His hands were clasped behind him and he bowed to her slightly.

"Thank you, Teal'c," she said, smiling and giving his arm a slight caress.

"We were somewhat surprised when you appeared on the stage. We were not aware you were a member of this company," he added.

"Really?" said Sam.

Jack smiled warmly at Janet and extended his hand, which she took and shook. "That was a nice performance, Doc," Jack said. "You have a lovely voice."

"Thank you, Sir," she said smiling broadly and blushing slightly. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone from the SGC here this evening."

"Yeah…you know you guys should shoot for a larger facility and advertise a bit more. You could really make some money for that charity," he added.

"Well, we'll take that into consideration if we decide to do this again next year," she said. Then she turned her attention to Teal'c and Sam turned toward Jack.

Jack stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at his shoes as Sam moved closer to him. She stiffened as she approached, taking a deep breath. It was obvious he wasn't going to speak first, so she did, just to get it over with.

"What a surprise, Sir," she said while smiling, or trying to.

"Yes it was, Carter," he said, finally looking up into her eyes. He smiled and she was stunned by what she saw. There was no sarcasm, no humor. Instead she saw pride and affection. "You were…" he searched, trying to find the right word, "…amazing." It wasn't quite what he wanted, but there it was, none-the-less. He kept his hands in his pockets because he didn't trust them to be out, loose and near her.

She blushed despite her best efforts to the contrary. She kept her hands clasped behind her, not trusting them to be near him. Her heart had suddenly doubled its tempo and she was feeling rather warm.

"Thank you, Sir," she finally managed to say, though it was almost a whisper.

"I had no idea you could…" again he paused trying to be careful with what he said, "…sing like that."

"Truthfully," she said, leaning in just a bit, "neither did I."

"And this wasn't your first performance?" he asked. Then, when he noticed a slightly confused look on her face (a look he enjoyed, but seldom saw) he added, "Second Annual…"

"Oh, yeah," she replied, "uhm…last year it was Roger's & Hammerstein. The whole show had a completely different…feel to it."

"Well, you'd better pick a larger venue for next year. Once word-of-mouth…" he cocked his head in Jonas' direction, "…gets around, you'll have a much larger audience."

"Well, I'm not so sure I'll be doing this again…"

"That's a shame," he said, cutting her off, "because you were very good."

She smiled again and felt some of her apprehension dissolve. A warm sensation started from deep in her abdomen and began rising through her body. She fought the urge to touch him. Her hands were winning over her head. She'd just unclasped her hands when Jonas approached.

"Hey, Sam," Jonas said enthusiastically. "Wow! What a great performance!"

Her unclasped right hand swung to him as another flush came over her cheeks. This time it wasn't because of her performance on stage, but rather because of what she had almost done. She shook Jonas' hand instead and smiled.

She cleared her throat as it suddenly felt constricted and then said, "Thanks, Jonas."

Then, almost as an afterthought she added, "So, how did you guys find out about this?"

Jonas and Teal'c looked to Jack. "Uh…turns out that Wegner, there, just moved in across the street. He gave me one of those flyers advertising the show."

"Yeah, and I remembered hearing Dr. Fraiser saying something about the AF8 a few weeks back."

"We decided to come and show our support for Dr. Fraiser's charitable endeavor," Teal'c finished.

"So…you didn't even know Sam was involved?" Janet asked.

"No, it was a complete surprise. We didn't know Adriana was involved either," Jonas supplied.

"Huh," Janet said and then gave an 'I told you so' look to Sam. She was relieved to find out that General Hammond hadn't somehow tipped these guys off. "So, no one else on the base knows?"

"Not yet," Jonas said.

"So, what do you say we get outta here?" Jack said and then tore his eyes from Sam to look at each of the others. "We can go have a drink or waltz on back to my place?"

"Oh, well, I don't know about Janet, but I can't wait to jump in the shower," Sam said. She was growing weary of fighting her desires. It had been a long day and her defenses were growing weaker with each passing moment near him. He was looking so great in that outfit. And he was not being sarcastic or gruff. He was in his charming mode and she really needed to get as far away from him as possible before she lost it all together.

She saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes, which he quickly covered. She immediately regretted the comment, but knew it had been the right thing to say. Really, she'd almost come so close to embracing and kissing him earlier…right there in front of friends and strangers. God knows what would happen if she went back to his place. Even if the others joined them, they'd leave eventually. And the way she was feeling right now, they'd leave before she would. That would not be good.

She tried to convey her regret to him through one of those looks they too frequently shared. And then Janet, "bless her heart", corroborated Sam's declination of the invitation.

"Oh, yeah," Janet said, "I'm exhausted and if I walked to close to a candle, my hair would ignite." The she added, "Hairspray," when she saw the look of confusion on Teal'c's face. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm gonna have to decline," she said, smiling at Jack.

"We'll do it another time," he said smiling back at her. Then he looked at Sam again and though the smile remained, his eyes changed. There was no doubt Jack held Janet in high esteem, that he respected, admired and even adored the intelligent, capable, and petit Doctor. But when he looked at Sam, the respect, admiration and adoration were joined by desire that penetrated through. She recognized the look, the way those brown eyes peered out from under his brow. It always caused a shiver to run up her spine. It was a look she was sure she reciprocated.

"We'll see you Monday," he added as he tore his eyes away from hers again.

"Yeah," she answered and then watched as the three walked toward the entrance. She took a deep breath and suddenly felt chilled and drained, but extremely relaxed. Because with that last exchange, Sam knew her concerns about endless razzing were put to rest.

If Jack had been the only one to witness the performance, then he would have, on occasion, pulled a comment out as a private little joke between the two of them. A little reminder of the evening and the pleasure each had derived from the experience. She could just imagine him offering to "pepper her Ragu" the next time she ate spaghetti or adding the phrase "tit for tat" at a time when an embarrassed blush would be completely inappropriate. But since the others had been involved, the jokes would no longer be private and thus there would be none. He'd put an end to any that were attempted. She knew that now. Again, part of her wished he'd been the only one to come. Those little secret moments were all they had. And there were far too few of them. "Which is probably for the best," she thought as she sighed and shivered slightly.

The End


End file.
